Electric control valve



Filed nec. e, 1937 l2 sheets-sheet 1 Jag.

Ap 16, 1940. F. sHENToN ELECTRIC-CONTROL VALVE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec. e, 1957 Patented Apr. 16, 1940 PATENT OFFICE A ELEc'ralc coN'raoL vALvE Francis Shenton, Waynesboro, Pa., assigner to Frick Company, Waynesboro, Pa., a corporation o'i Pennsylvania Application December 6, 1937, Serial No. 178,406

5 Claims. (C12. 137-139) This invention relates to valves and more particularly to automatically operated valves.

'Ihe automatic operation of valves directly by.

electro-magnetic means presents certain practi- 5 cal dimculties which must be overcome if commercialsuccess is to be effected.- For example,

when such valves are to be utilized in high pressure lines, the force required to open said valves by electro-magnetic means is so large as to 1 necessitate utilizing electro-magnets 'of great capacity which is uneconomical and not feasible.

It has heretofore been proposed in connection with valves of this type that a pilot valve be associated withthe electro-magnetic means which in turn will relieve the pressure on the upper side of the main valve which very pressure may then be utilized to open said main valve. Such valve structures have been found to be erratic, irregular in action, and sometimes inoperative to func- I0 tion at critical times.

It is an improved valve of this type that the applicant has invented which is positive. in action, non-sticking and operative to function at all times when movement-of the pilot valve is effected either`manually or automatically.

An object of the invention istoprovide means for facilitating the operation of valves in high pressure lines.

A further object of the invention is the pro- 50 vision of auxiliary valve means to facilitate the operation o f a main valve.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious from the following description taken in conjunction vwith the drawings,

35 wherein:

` Fig. l is a cross sectional view of one form of my invention showing the main valve in-closed position and pilot valve not actuated;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the pilot valve 40 actuated and the main valve about to open;

' Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the main valve in open position; and,

Fig. 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly 4B in cross section showing a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a valve body III and in association `therewith a main valve II having a central bore II' and auxiliary valve 80 seat I2 for cooperation with pilot-valve I3. The. operation of the pilot valve I3 is dependent upon electro-magnetic means I4 which upon energization attracts plunger or core I5 which is caused to move upwardly. to stopA I6 thereby flexing IlspringmeansI'Iasshowninllgure2. Rigidly associated with the plunger .I5 is a rod I8 operating spring housing I9 which encases spring 2li through pin 38 for lifting pilot valve I3 clear of its seat I2. 'I'his is accomplished by means of hammer blow eect obtained by contact of lower 5 internal portion of housing I9 with washer 2i, said washer imparting a hammer blow to stem I3 through pin 22 as the magnet coil is energized and lifts plunger I5 together with its auxiliary mechanism as described.- I Cooperating with the valve body Ill is a bonnet 23 arranged thereabove and sealed thereto by suitable means through the medium of gasket 2d. The upper portion of said valve bonnet 23 houses the electro-magnetic coils or means I4 which may be said to be the primemover which effects operation of the valve. .Y l 'Associated with the central portion of said main valve Il is a pilot valve guide 25 which isy bored at 26 to permit the passage of fluid there- 20 through. Also associated with said main valve II, in the preferred form of my invention,y is a ball check valve 2l with the usual stops .associated therewith. The ball check is so arranged to permit the passage'of uid upwardly when the pressure in the space below it is in Suchrelation with the pressure above that the huid velocity through the ball check valve mechanism isnot of suicient magnitude to carry the hall check upward. This provides an equalizing vent utia@ ,lized in closing the valve which is explained later.

The main valve has piston-cylinder relationship with the upper inner walls of the valve body it.

At the lowerportion of the valve it) a bonnet 28 is screwed thereto for the passage therethrough 35 of valve lifting stem 29 operated by handwheel St. About said stem is a suitable packing 3i held in operative relationship with the .stern 2e in vsaid bonnet 28 by packing nut 32. Said lifting stem 29 is arranged in screw bearing relationship 33 with interior of bonnet 28 in a manner such that when handwheel is rotated the stem 29. will be moved axially to raise or lower valve il in relation to its seat 36 throughbearing means 35 on lower lportion of main .valve I I, thereby aiording manual operation of said valve when energizing -current to magnet coil, I is not available. Heli- .cal spring 3B' acts on bearing means 35 in contact with lower portion of main valve I I and is el. sufcient strength to overbalance the weight of 5@ main valve II thereby providing means for holding said main valve in full open position when uid pressures between inlet and outlet of valve casing 31 are" equal as when valve is in its open v position. Spring 24 is also designed to compress .u

ditional weight of plunger I5 and auxiliary parts are `added thereto as is the case when magnet coil Il is de-energized.

. Will then l that applicants improved valve with the expenditure of butlittle energy and In operation, the main valve will rest against its seat' 36 and will be held thereon by relatively high iiuid pressure'at the inlet to the valve casing 31. To open the main valve it is necessary to energize the electro-magnet I4 which energization may be effected by means of a manual switch, thermostatic switch, pressure actuated switch, or

other means'in a manner to attract plunger I5 upwardly to stop I 6 thereby iiexin'g spring means I1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 whereupon pilot valve I3 will be drawn upwardly to its open position by force transmitted through spring or cushioning means 20 relieving the pressure above the main-valve II. With this release of pressure and resulting rapid inrush of iiuid from the main valve inlet through the bal1.check valve 2,1, the ball check valve 21 will close and shut off communication between the main valve inlet and the top of the piston so that the pressure above the piston equalizes with the outlet pressure. 'I'he inlet pressure at 31 then acts on the under side of the piston-like upper portion of-A the valve I I, with the ball check in closed position to raise the main valve to the position shown inV Fig. 3. 'I'hen the ball check valve 21 drops and opens communication between the inlet and the top of the piston. Valve II is then maintained in open position by means of spring 34 through bearing means 35. Y

To close the main valve it is but necessary to cause de-energization of electro-magnet means I4, either manually or automatically. Plunger I5 drop by reasonl of the gravitational force and effect the lowering of themain valve Il to its s eat 36 whereby flow through the valve body I0 will cease. During the closingcycle, equalized pressures below and above the upper portion of the main valve II are maintained through the check valve 21 which is in the position shown in Fig. 3. 'I'he spring means I1 isofthe leaf type and is embodied in the valveunit to prevent sticking due to residual magnetism,

sticky oil lms .between the working parts, or

other similar causes. i

With the incorporation of the ball check relief valve in the body of the main valve, it is unnec# essary in the fabrication of the entire unit to deviate from the conventional castingior the valve body I0. However,.for somei purposes it, a simpler form of main valve I Ia as shown in Figure 4 and to incorporate valve 21a within .the valvel may be desirable Ato utilize the ball check relief body castingl Illa. Theremaining elements of this modiiled form of valve are shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusiv A.

It will be apparent from 'the above description may be operated simultaneously eiect positive y action of the' main valve. The well designed piston-cylinder arrangement which has beenincorp'orated in the main valve-valve body unit, and the ball check give desired results.

,.-piston element with 'the 4valve-'by the action of the inlet similar -to that or lifting of the main valve andsimulta'neously.

eilect the release of pressure above themain valve when the passage therethrough is closed by reason of the main valve being raised to again contact the pilot or-auxiliary Valve.

Applicants valvel has beenv well designed and proportioned so that the full force of theplunger is utilized on the pilot action of the main Valve Amechanism is no way directly connected with said pilot valve. `Applicants improved valve is quitedifferent in the ordinary pilot found -to smoothly I I effected by auxiliary operated main valve and is and 'effectively function to It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that'various changes may be made in this device without departing from the spirit-of` the invention and -therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the.`drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. In a combined valve, a main valvebody, a main valve, a main valve seat, said main valve including a main valve element and a piston element having arst side and alsecond side, said valve body including a; cylinder element cooperating with `,said piston element, said main valve being formed with a communicating passage Vadapted to communicate the 4first side of said outlet side of said main valve,solenoid operated pilot valve means'for controlling the vsaid communicating passage,.and auxiliary pressure operated valve means controlling communication between the iirst side of said pilot valve means isvin its closed position and the valve only and lifting structure and 'operation from,

auxiliary valve means is open, pressure on the, inlet side of said main valve actsvon thefirst i side of said piston element'vand holds the said main valve in its closed position; and-whenrthe solenoid pilot valve means is-open aiording relief ofthe pressure from the first side of saidpiston element to the outlet side o'f said combined valve, the sudden Irush of iiuid from the inlet side of the said main valve to'the viirst side of said piston element will effect the closing ofthe auxiliary pressure operated valve means and opensaid main pressure onthe second side of said piston element. 2. 'I'he structure recited in claim .1, said auxiliary valve being located in said valve body.

- 3'. The structure recited'in claim 1, said auxillary valve being located'insaid 'piston element.

v 4. 'I'he structure recited in claim ll, said auxiliary valve being a check valve. A v

5. The structure recited in claim 1, said pilot valve comprising a stem,- guide means,v for 'said stem, said guide means having-a passage extending therethrough and communicating the rst side of said piston element with said pilot valve.

' FRANCIS sHEN'roN.- 7'

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